Alyssa Powell/Business
- I usually choose sunglasses that look good rather than feel good, but then I sacrifice comfort for fashion.
- Most sunglasses are far too heavy and put too much pressure on my head for me to wear them for more than 20 minutes.
- Warby Parker's Mercer sunglasses (starting at $195) feature a lightweight titanium frame that is so comfortable I often forget I'm still wearing them.
Sunglasses are one of my favorite fashion accessories. Not only can they help pull an outfit together, they're also practical, blocking out intense UVA and UVB rays from the sun. Although I have an extensive collection of different colors, types, and brands of sunglasses, I typically don't wear them. That's because pretty much every single pair I've owned was so heavy for my head that I was forced to take them off after 20 minutes due to discomfort.
One day, I strolled into a Warby Parker store just to browse. I had just purchased a pair of luxury designer sunglasses thinking that the more expensive the pair, the more comfortable they would be, but I was wrong. I told a sales associate about my sunglasses plight, and she pulled a pair of Mercer sunglasses down for me, specifically because the frame is made out of ultra-lightweight titanium.
Warby Parker's Mercer sunglasses are technically men's sunglasses. While at first I thought they would look too masculine on me, I've grown to really like this particular style. The design is very simple with round lenses; subtly filigreed eyewire; extremely thin, comfortable temples; and a lightweight titanium frame. I originally bought the Mercer sunglasses in "shiny gold" and got them in "polished silver" not longer after.
Warby Parker
In terms of fit, I have a heart-shaped, rounder face, and round rims generally aren't the ideal shape for me. However, the Mercer sunglasses still flatter my face. More square-shaped faces would probably look best in them though. While I have a lower nasal bridge, the nose pads provide a comfortable and secure fit. Something else I consider a bonus: The rims are more petite. Unlike oversized glasses, they don't sit halfway down my cheeks and obscure my face.
Unfortunately, I'm still not accustomed to wearing sunglasses as regularly as I should. But I try to wear them as often as I can remember, for as long as I'm comfortable. I even managed to wear these Warby Parker sunglasses for multiple days at an outdoor music festival in the middle of the desert because I completely forgot that I was wearing them - they're that comfortable.
Read more: The best polarized sunglasses you can buy
I usually toss these sunglasses, sans case, into my bag where they manage to make their way to the bottom, but they're still in extremely good condition. The lenses are scratch-resistant, which certainly helps.
Bottom line
Warby Parker is well-known for offering eyewear in different prescription types, which makes settling on the perfect pair of sunglasses or other eyewear incredibly easy. The Mercer sunglasses can be modified with lenses that are non-prescription, single-vision, progressives, or readers.
Starting at $195 for non-prescription lenses, these simple but stylish frames cost a fraction of what I've paid for luxury designer pairs that have landed in my sunglasses graveyard. Warby Parker's Mercer sunglasses are by far my favorite pair, and I'm overjoyed that I'm not forced to take them off as soon as I put them on.
Buy the Mercer sunglasses for $195 to $475 from Warby Parker
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